KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

and other biting and their control and other biting Fleas arthropods and their control

“They’re driving me crazy! You’ve got to get rid of them and I don’t care how much it costs!”

Magic words to a pest manager perhaps but sometimes the precursor to a saga of epic proportions when you can’t find the culprit causing all this anxiety. When a pest manager can find fleas or bird mites, then the solution is usually straightforward and both parties are satisfied. However, when the “bities” are nowhere to be found, then that’s when the tears often start…for both client and pest manager. In this brochure we will look at some common biting pests which really exist and which can be treated relatively easily. The first pest is the . Fleas KNOWLEDGE CENTRE BIOLOGY FLEAS AND DISEASE FLEA CHARACTERISTICS Fleas belong to the order Siphonaptera which literally Fleas are small, wingless and species range in size means, “wingless sucking tube.” They are insects with a from 1 – 10 millimetres. They are easily recognised by the rather infamous reputation as being responsible for the majority of the world’s population, especially those who own transmission of the “bubonic ” or, “Black Death.” cats or dogs! Fortunately for mankind, the flea species responsible, the The identifying characteristics of fleas are: Oriental flea ( cheopis), is quite rare these days although the disease itself can still be found in some parts • A laterally compressed body, of the world. In Australia, the plague struck Sydney in 1900, • Greatly enlarged hind legs which enable them to jump centred around the Rocks area and resulted in the death long distances, of about 300 people in eight months. A bounty of sixpence ($4 in today’s values) was placed on and, within ten • Piercing-sucking mouthparts, months of the first human case of plague, 108,308 rats were delivered to a furnace in Bathurst St. Sydney. Who killed all • Strong tarsal claws which enable them to grasp their these rats is not recorded and, as for who counted them, hosts, and, we’ll never know! There were twelve major outbreaks in • Rear pointing hairs and bristles to allow for easy Australia between 1900 and 1925 with 535 deaths resulting. movement through the ’s hair or fur. Fortunately, we are free from the scourge today but it can still be found in Africa, Asia and South America. Fleas don’t have mandibulate mouthparts so they actually can’t bite anybody. So, when somebody claims that they have been “bitten” by a flea. You can contradict them and say, “No you haven’t. You’ve been ‘pierced and sucked!’” People love to be made fools of like that! WHAT? The main pest species we have in Australia are: several months. The larvae don’t feed upon the host’s blood but rather on disgorged blood from adult fleas, dead skin, • The introduced (Ctenocephalides felis), said to hair, feathers and assorted organic debris. They like living in be the most common species, and, carpets, it seems like a giant cat to them. Well, at least that’s • The introduced (Ctenocephalides canis). what we think. The fully fed larvae construct a silken pupal case to which pet hair, carpet fibre, dust, grass cuttings and The human flea (Pulex irritans) is relatively rare according other debris adhere. The adult fleas may emerge from the to researchers. It is virtually impossible for inexperienced pupal case after five to fourteen days or they may remain personnel to distinguish between the various species but, it in the cocoon until they detect external stimuli such as: doesn’t really matter if you find dog or cat fleas because the vibration (caused by pets or people), heat, pressure, noise treatments are identical. or carbon dioxide. All these stimuli indicate that a potential Adult fleas mate on their host and the resultant non- host is nearby. This delayed emergence explains why adhesive eggs fall to the ground beneath. After a blood meal, holiday travellers may come home to a seemingly pest- a female flea can lay 15 – 20 eggs a day and up to 600 in free environment only to be swamped by fleas after a few a life time. The eggs hatch in about two days to two weeks hours or why potential home buyers may be attacked when into larvae which are found indoors in cracks and crevices, inspecting a property which has not been occupied for along skirting boards, under rug edges and in furniture or several months. beds. Outdoors, development may take place in a number of After emerging, adult fleas cannot survive or lay eggs without locations including kennels, sub-floors and shaded, grassy a blood meal and will only survive for about a week. In just areas. They especially like sandy gravel soils but can’t exist in 30 days, 10 female fleas under ideal conditions can give rise dry sunny spots. to over 250,000 different life stages. A typical flea The larvae are blind and legless, shun the light and pass population consists of 50% eggs, 35% larvae, through three larval instars. Depending upon temperature 10% pupae and 5% adults. and food availability, the larval stage lasts from a week to WHY? Why are fleas considered to be pests? Well, there are quite resulting in secondary infections caused by the victim a few reasons and, fortunately, the plague is not amongst scratching the affected area. Some more fortunate people them. Pet owners annually spend millions of dollars show no reaction after repeated “bites.” Most attacks take controlling fleas on their cats or dogs because fleas can place on the ankles or legs and the irritation may last for cause severe problems including dermatitis and can transmit minutes, hours or even days depending upon the individual. dog and cat tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum). The typical reaction to the bite is the formation of a small, hard, red swollen itching spot. For us humans, fleas can be the cause of severe irritation of the skin and children may develop tapeworm infestations if The Oriental rat flea can transmit murine typhus fever among they accidentally consume parts of infested fleas. Although rats and from rats to humans. They can also transmit bites are rarely felt, it is the resulting irritation caused by from to rodent and from rodent to a reaction to the flea’s salivary secretions that causes the humans. In North America, the ground squirrel can act as a problem. Some people demonstrate a severe reaction vector for plague. WHERE? Where? Anywhere there are cats and/or dogs are the places locations as “hot spots.” Outdoors, the fleas will be found where you will most likely find fleas. However, sometimes in areas of protection from the sun so you won’t find them there are no on site but there may be some on in the middle of closely mown lawn but you will find them adjacent properties. Some people say that they are having in shaded areas of long grass e.g. between a garage and problems with “sand fleas” or “grass fleas” but they are really fence, or in a sub-floor where the family dog likes to curl up. cat or dog fleas as all fleas need an animal host of some type. Where there are cats or dogs, you will find fleas in the So, anywhere you have cats or dogs which are not regularly locations where the animals spend the most time. If a pet cat treated for fleas, you may very likely find flea activity. They are likes to rest on a window seat or on a lounge chair, that is especially active during the warmer months as the optimum where the flea eggs will accumulate and where the larval and temperatures for their life cycle are 20 – 30 degrees Celsius adult fleas will proliferate. Some pest managers refer to these and the optimum humidity is 70%. KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

HOW? When a potential client calls and says, “We’ve got fleas!” This A thorough vacuuming or steam cleaning of all interior is the time to start thinking Integrated Pest Management. floor surfaces must take place before you start spraying. Of course, we do this for every job, don’t we? Without an Vacuuming will pick up eggs and all stages of the life cycle IPM approach, our chances of client satisfaction are greatly although larvae tend to “hold on” to carpet fibres and you reduced and who wants to live in a house full of fleas? There may only pick up around 20% of the total. The larvae spend are three essential co-ordinated, simultaneous steps to a the vast majority of the time at the base of the carpet fibres successful flea treatment: whereas at pupation time, they move higher up the fibres. Vacuuming will also remove dried blood faeces, a major • Pet treatment, larval food source. All items must be picked up from the floor • Premises cleaning, and, to ensure best access. Special attention must be paid to where lint and pet hair accumulate and under and in furniture • Insecticide application. where pets sleep. Make sure that the vacuum bag is thrown First of all though, we should carry out an inspection of the in the garbage bin or bag less cleaners are emptied into property. This may seem unnecessary but the homeowner a garbage bag which is subsequently discarded. Any pet may not really have fleas after all and we need to be certain bedding should be thrown away, washed or dry cleaned. of the pest identification before we proceed. In a bad Outdoors, the grass must be closely mown to enable infestation, you may not need to even enter the front gate thorough treatment. Advise the person mowing to apply as sometimes the fleas come out to greet you! This is a rare insect repellent before starting. Soil areas may need to be phenomenon fortunately. dampened down to enable the insecticide to penetrate. Just a quick walk through the house should reveal the Always read the insecticide label thoroughly and follow all presence of fleas, especially if you are wearing white socks recommendations listed before commencing your treatment. over your shoes. Make sure that you tuck your trousers into Many of the treatment recommendations contained in the the top of the socks to avoid flea bites. Check for “hot spots” Globe publication, “The Carpet Beetle Solution Guide” are where you can concentrate your chemical application. You also relevant for fleas and should be consulted prior to any must insist that the client has any animals treated before your treatment being carried out. application. A Veterinary Surgeon should be consulted for advice on the best product for the job.

Vacuuming will pick up eggs and all stages of the life cycle although larvae tend to “hold on” to carpet fibres whereas at pupation time, they move higher up the fibres. CONTROL MEASURES

INTERIOR TREATMENT When it comes to treating the interior of a dwelling, you need to ensure that all your equipment is free of dirt as are your boots. This is to avoid soiling carpets which may be moist after your application. Wearing boot covers is a good idea. All PPE detailed on the label must be worn. A standard compressed air sprayer is quite suitable but should be fitted with an extension wand. A flat fan nozzle will provide the best spray pattern. A hollow cone nozzle, sometimes the only nozzle pest managers use, is not a good choice for carpet treatments. With respect to insecticide choice, there are many products available which can do the job very well. A worthwhile addition is an Insect Growth Regulator which can provide many extra months of control. There are only a few on the market and most are registered for flea control. Make sure that all formulations are mixed according to label requirements. You should begin your treatment at the furthest point and work towards your exit. Some old “pesties” say that they used to spray houses through the windows when the fleas were particularly bad but that is not a viable approach these days. Some pest managers EXTERIOR TREATMENT make the mistake of applying the insecticide very lightly. It The basic difference between interior and exterior treatments must penetrate to the base of the carpet fibres because we is that a compressed air sprayer may be inadequate and a have seen that is where the larvae live. For long pile or shag trolley sprayer or pump and drum set-up may be required. carpet, the application will need to be heavier (10L per 100 A different insecticide, a more economical formulation, is square metres as opposed to 5L per 100 square metres for often used for exterior treatments. Dry soil may need to be short pile) although still in accordance with the label. Pay moistened before application and special attention paid to particular attention to the “hot spots” previously designated. “hot spots” where pets spend most of their time. The lawn On timber floors, an insecticidal dust may be used. It is needs to be closely mown as previously indicated to enable dusted over the floor and then swept or blown into areas complete penetration. This sometimes poses a problem where the flea larvae are found. when the person mowing the lawn won’t carry out the work until the fleas have all gone and the pest manager can’t do After application, the occupant should not re-enter until the his/her bit until the lawn has been seen to! floor surfaces are dry. This is usually 2 – 4 hours depending upon temperature and nature of the surfaces treated. The A “free service period” is a tricky decision for flea control. client must be informed that flea activity may continue for Some pest managers provide a three month warranty for around two weeks as all the pupal cases must rupture domestic premises and one month for animal pounds, and adult fleas emerge before they contact the insecticide veterinary surgeons’ premises and breeding or boarding deposits. They should not vacuum the carpets before 7 – 10 kennels. Some pest managers provide no free service days elapse. period. It is unwise to offer a maintenance service for fleas.

The insecticide must applied heavily so it can penetrate to the base of the carpet fibres where the larvae live. KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

BIRD MITES Another pest that greatly excites the attention of a building’s occupants is the bird mite. It is virtually impossible to stay in a building when they are invading the interior. Bird mite treatments are relatively straightforward as long as you can climb a ladder and work at heights.

WHAT? Bird mites are not insects as some of the public may think as they have eight legs and two body parts. The most common birds chirping away. No matter what the clue, they all spell mite associated with bird nests is the “Starling mite” or trouble unless the birds and nests can be safely disposed of. “Tropical fowl mite” (Ornithonyssus bursa) and it is a member of the Family Macronyssidae. Sometimes other species, the Northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) or the chicken HOW? mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) are the culprits. Occasionally The “degree of difficulty” of treatment depends entirely another species, the tropical rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) upon the ease of access to the bird nests themselves. In a is associated with rats’ or mice nests as the name suggests. single storey dwelling, it is usually relatively easy to remove It is essential to have a correct identification of the species the offending nests, treat the roof void and seal all entry involved if there is any doubt as to the origin of the problem. points. However, if you are working at heights, you need Ornithonyssus bursa is a small mite and is barely visible to consider access equipment and calculate your price to the unaided eye. It is oval in shape and has a covering accordingly. You will also need to calculate the price of any of short hairs. It is an obligate parasite and feeds on the proofing equipment if you are going to do the work required blood of a number of exotic bird species, chickens and to prevent a recurrence of the problem. some native species. An unfed mite is virtually transparent In simple situations such as a house, you need to find the but is reddish-purple after a blood meal. They move quickly nests first. It may be easier to work from the outside of when they leave the host nest and may be visible in literally the dwelling than from inside the roof void as the nests will hundreds or even thousands as they swarm down a wall almost certainly be right at the edge of the roof itself. So, looking for a feed. They are most common during spring and wearing your PPE and having applied insect repellent, you early summer when the birds are in breeding mode. The life remove all the nesting material and place it in a bag for later cycle is approximately seven days. disposal. Hopefully there won’t be any baby birds in the nests as this causes added complications when it comes to disposing of them too. Then you need to determine how WHY? to prevent the birds from re-entering the nesting sites. You Fortunately, bird mites do not transmit diseases and their may need to re-cement roof tiles, seal broken ridge capping pest status is due entirely to their practice of “test biting” on or block holes with chicken wire. In commercial premises, humans. As with fleas, they inject saliva to assist with their you will have a much bigger job in front of you and you may feeding and it is the saliva which causes the intense irritation. require professional assistance. The staff of Globe Australia The irritation can lead to severe itching and subsequent will be able to help you when it comes to quoting and rashes. Obviously, the most “dangerous” spots in a dwelling carrying out these more mammoth undertakings. are those directly below the nest(s) as the mites descend Once the nests have been removed and the entry points directly from them after the fledglings leave home and there sealed, you need to gain access to the roof void and apply is no food available for them. Perhaps insultingly, our blood an insecticidal dust to the area once again wearing the is not “good enough” for them to live on and the mites necessary PPE. You may need to move around the roof void usually die within three weeks but other may emerge to take to ensure an even application to all areas. Don’t just stick their place. your head through the manhole and let go with your power duster as the dust won’t travel around corners no matter how much you apply! Where infestation is evident to the WHERE? interior around access points such as wall vents, window Bird mites can be found in both commercial and domestic frames, cracks in walls etc., you may need to apply a light premises where birds are nesting. Pigeons and starlings are spray of an approved insecticide. Ensure that the surfaces the most common carriers, with starlings being the usual will not be affected by the spray by testing it on an obscure culprit in houses. The birds may be nesting in roof voids of section. If you have done the job correctly, there will dwellings or on ledges/awnings, under sarking or in holes in be no need to do a follow-up visit. The clients will walls. The occupants of the buildings may be able to see the certainly let you know if the bird mites haven’t nests, see the parent birds flying in and out or hear the baby all gone! OTHER BITING PESTS For the pest manager, there are a myriad of other biting Without doubt, the most difficult pest to treat is the one which arthropods including the infamous bed bug, ticks, mosquitoes, doesn’t exist! When you receive a phone call from somebody ants, bees, wasps, scorpions, some “hairy” caterpillars, a who says, “Something’s biting me and I can’t see it but I range of biting flies and other sundry pests. There are also know I’m not mad!” that’s when you should start planning an other problem pest such as scabies mites and head and body immediate holiday somewhere far away! The poor person on lice which we don’t treat. You have to know what you are the other end of the line may be suffering from either Delusions dealing with so you don’t cross the line. The most economically of Parasitosis or Illusions of Parasitosis. You can research these important pest is the bed bug which we don’t have the space syndromes plus obtain information on the more standard pests to deal with here. However, the essential reading material for all on the website of “The Department of of pest managers is the “Bed Bug Code of Practice,” which can the University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital,” on be found on: www.bedbug.org.au. You should NEVER even www.medent.usyd.edu.au consider carrying out a bed bug job until you have read this document and have equipped yourself with all the necessary equipment. INTERESTING FLEA FACTS • A human flea can jump about 20 centimetres high and about 150 times its own length, the equivalent of a man clearing 440 metres from a standing start, • When it jumps, it reaches a speed of about 100 centimetres a second in less than two thousandths of a second with an acceleration of 140g, • This speed is about twenty times the acceleration of an Apollo rocket, • The forces on the flea’s body caused by this acceleration are equal to what a man would feel if he crashed his car into a solid wall at around 330 kms/hour, and, • Fleas appear to prefer women to men. KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

NOTES NOTES KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

NOTES KNOWLEDGE CENTRE 87 Allingham Street Condell Park NSW 2200 Phone (02) 8713 555